Harry Potter and the Hangover
by Clau-Clau Claudius
Summary: Near the end of his sixth year, Harry has had enough. He is sick of his messy love life, Voldemort's evil plots against him, and the pressure on him to be the hero. So, it's time for a long overdue vacation: Las Vegas.
1. Chapter 1: You Need A Real Vacation

**Summary:** Near the end of his sixth year, Harry has had enough. He is sick of his messy love life, Voldemort's evil plots against him, and the pressure on him to be the hero. So, it's time for a long overdue vacation: Las Vegas.

**Note:** This story was inspired by the movie "The Hangover" though it will not follow the movie's plotline. Also, it doesn't follow the 6th and 7th HP installment. In this story, Dumbledore is still alive.

There will be some pairings, but it won't be the sole focus of the story. Here are some pairings that could possibly happen: Harry/Lavender, Lavender/Blaise, slight Draco/Harry/Blaise.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to the HP works of J.K. Rowling. This is just for guilty pleasure fun.

**Chapter 1: You Need a Real Vacation**

The springs of the armchair squeaked as Harry settled his bottom on it, and let his feet rest on the footstool. His entire body ached and, worse, his head throbbed with the most unbearable pain. Tonight's Legilimency session with Snape had been the most intense, and he had looked forward to its end, so he can rest in his bed. However, once he had reached the Gryffindor common room and slowly made his up to the boys' dormitory, Harry came face to face with Ron. The red hair boy, now a tall and handsome young man, informed him that he needed the dorm all to himself just for this one night. Hearing the desperate pleading tone in his voice, Harry easily gave in though he was definitely irritated.

"Just for this one night," Harry grumbled, mocking Ron's tone of voice. He knew exactly what his friend would be doing in that dorm with Hermione. Ever since Dean, Seamus, and _even _Neville had gotten girlfriends and spent most nights with their lovers somewhere else in the castle, Ron took advantage of the extra privacy and politely kicked Harry, who was still single, out. This happened almost every other night, not just one night.

Now Harry was alone in the common room. The sofa wasn't at all uncomfortable, and the fireplace emitted such pleasant warmth. But as he tried to fall sleep the constant thumps and muffled deep groans alongside a female's high-pitched cries coming from the boys' dormitory jerked him awake.

Harry let out an exasperating sigh. He was tired, irritated, slightly depressed, and sleepy. Also, somewhere deep inside him, he felt a tinge of jealousy. This needs to stop, he thought to himself. Tomorrow he will tell Ron and Hermione to take their goddamn business elsewhere. It was already difficult for him to accept their relationship when he secretly harbored feelings for his bossy know-it-all friend. Now he was placed in this awkward position.

He dwelled deeper into his thoughts, not noticing that someone had plopped onto the chair opposite from him. It wasn't until a soft _ahem_ interrupted his train of thoughts. Harry slowly raised his eyes to meet a nice pair of round bosoms. Even without his glasses, which rested on his lap, he could see the globes practically oozing over the person's purple tank top.

"_Ahem_, Harry, my face is up here."

His eyes rose to the person's eye level. He blinked and squinted as his hands grabbed his glasses and placed them on his face.

"Oh." A blush rose to his cheeks. "Sorry, Lavender."

The pretty witch smiled at him. "So, what are you doing up this late? If you don't mind me asking."

Harry frowned and briefly looked up toward the ceiling. Thumps. Groans. High-pitched squeaks. Ron had the stamina of a bull.

"_That_," he said dryly. Lavender's face softened into a sympathetic look for him.

"Why are you here?" he said, slightly irritated that his only place of privacy was interrupted.

"Oh, just to do a bit of reading." She lifted up a magazine to show her choice of reading. Her blue eyes glistened with enthusiasm. "Actually, I couldn't sleep. I'm just too excited for this summer."

"Summer is still four months away."

"I know that, silly. This summer is going to be different. Every summer, my parents and I visit our relatives in France. It's nice to vacation in Paris with family, but sometimes it becomes too much of a dull routine. Don't get me wrong; I do love Paris. Have you ever been there?"

"No."

"Oh, you should go someday! It's worth it. Trust me. But, anyway, earlier today my parents sent me an owl saying that this year we are going to the States!"

Harry's mouth remained in a deep frown. His eyes, unlike Lavender's, didn't glisten with excitement. He was completely expressionless.

"You know, America? Disneyland? The Big Apple? Hollywood?"

"Yes, yes I know," he said, irritably. "I'm happy that you will be having such a grand time in the States!" He failed to sound happy for Lavender and the words came out more like sarcasm.

"Someone's in such a bad mood!"

"And why do you think that?"

Thumps. Groans. High-pitched squeaks.

"One can only guess," Lavender flatly said. "You're jealous."

Harry straightened his position in the armchair and glared at her. He was not jealous of Ron and Hermione's relationship. No, he wasn't. He wasn't. He wasn't. Oh, fuck, he thought, whom am I kidding?

"You're jealous," Lavender repeated. "You're jealous that I'm going to the States and you're not. Because of your jealousy you have to spoil someone else's happiness."

Harry sighed in relief.

"What are _you_ doing this summer?" she asked. "Not going to the States, I'm sure."

He leaned back against the armchair thinking about his vacation for the summer. There was no denying that Lavender's summer will be better than his. For part of July, he'd probably be stuck at the Dursleys' because Dumbledore would insist it for his safety. Hopefully, right before his 17th birthday, he'd be allowed to go to Grimmauld Place and reunite with his friends.

Harry inwardly groaned. And then, he thought, I would be stuck in that place with Ron and Hermione going at it in the night or day.

"You're right, Lavender. I'm sorry," he sighed. "I hope you'll have a great time with your family."

Lavender smiled. "It's okay."

"Aren't there sixty-five states in America?"

"Fifty Harry."

"Right, right, fifty. Which one will you be going to?"

"Las Vegas, Nevada! I've been reading all about it since I got the owl. It looks so fantastically fun! Bright lights, incredible entertainment, buffets, and _shopping_!" She squealed and emphasized the last word.

Harry sighed again. Closing his eyes, he muttered, "That's nice, Lavender. It sounds fun. Good for you."

"Oh, Harry, don't be so down! No one likes a downer!"

He grunted in reply.

"You know what?" he heard her say.

He opened his eyes to see Lavender kneel so seductively before him. Surprised at her sudden forwardness, he began to straighten up in the seat feeling uncomfortable and slightly excited.

"What?" he lamely asked.

She placed her index finger on his chest and said, "You. Need. A. Real. Vacation!", poking him in the chest with each word.

"I don't want one," he said, frowning.

"Stop frowning! Smile! You're very handsome when you do." Her hands cupped his face.

Harry's frown twitched. With great and painful effort it turned into a strained smile.

"Okay, well…" Lavender's hands slid from his face and settled on his chest. "You don't need to smile now."

His tight and agonizing smile returned to a frown.

"But you do need a real vacation," she insisted.

"I don't wa-"

"YOU. NEED. A. REAL. VA-CA-TION!" She slapped her hand hard on his chest with every syllable, nearly knocking all the air out of him. "And when you do, you won't be such a grumpy little boy."

Her hands slid further until one hand rested on his thigh while the other hand came upon the noticeable bulge between his legs. "Okay, well, maybe not that little," she said with a smile and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Lavender rose to her feet. "Think about it, Harry. You will feel better."

She walked over to the seat she had occupied, picked up her magazine, and left the Common room. Once again, Harry was alone. He sighed and shut his eyes wishing for his erection to go away and for sleep to take over. A vacation, he thought, I guess it would be nice to get away from everything and everyone. No Voldemort. No Legilimency with Snape. No Dursleys. No classes.

Suddenly without warning, a scream, followed by a deep moan, erupted from upstairs. Then there was silence and very heavy breathing.

Harry massaged his aching temples. A long vacation was needed.


	2. Chapter 2: Take Me With You

**Chapter Summary: **Draco is feeling the pressures from his family, Voldemort, and the other Death Eaters. Meanwhile, some very devastating news reaches Lavender and Harry is there to help.

**Notes: **Please take a moment to review.

**Chapter 2: Take Me With You**

A week had passed since Harry's encounter with Lavender in the common room, and he still hadn't approached his two best friends about his awkward position as the third wheel. Nope, he hadn't. Instead he focused on the new idea –thanks to Lavender – of a vacation. Unfortunately, being imprisoned in the Dursley house and within the castle walls of Hogwarts, his knowledge of geography was somewhat limited to the countries that made up Europe. No, he didn't want to go anywhere in Europe. Voldemort and the Death Eaters could easily find him.

Outside of Europe would be perfect. But where would he go? Maybe Las Vegas, Nevada too, just like Lavender and her family, but he would rather see what other countries existed. Harry decided that after lunch he would rush to the library, look on a world map and simply pick a random country. But when would he leave? Tomorrow, he quickly decided. He couldn't bear to wait until summer. He needed it now. The thrill of his travel plans filled him up with excitement and warmth in his chest. For the first time since the beginning of his sixth year, he smiled.

"What's the smile for, Harry?" Ron asked before biting into a chicken leg. His blue eyes brightly shined with amusement and curiosity.

Ginny and Hermione stopped their conversation to turn their attention to the dark-haired young man, whose smile instantly disappeared. Hermione laid a dainty on his arm, and said with concern and worry evident in her tone, "Are you well, Harry? Is everything all right? You've been very quiet lately."

Harry shrugged. "Oh, everything's okay." Noticing the skeptical look on his friend's face, he added, "I'm just a bit tired from last night. The session with Snape was brutal."

She nodded her head as if she understood, and resumed her conversation with Ginny while Harry started to pick at the grapes on his plate uninterested in eating. He looked over at his red-haired male friend, who was now biting into his second chicken leg and, simultaneously, spooning mash potatoes into his mouth.

"You're especially hungry today," Harry noted aloud.

When Ron swallowed his food he threw him a knowing smile. "Oh, I'm just a bit tired from last night, too." Hermione, who overheard her boyfriend, grew beet red and playful slapped him on the arm while Ginny and Harry rolled their eyes.

"Yes, I heard," muttered Harry. He popped a few grapes into his mouth then got up from the seat and grabbed his note bag.

"Where are you off to?" Ron asked. "We don't have Potions until later this afternoon. I thought we could go out and fly a few rounds at the Quidditch Pitch."

"Oh, um, I'm going to the library," Harry answered seeing his friend's incredulous face, "and start on that Potions essay."

Upon hearing the word 'essay', Hermione also grabbed her note bag. She smiled at him eagerly. "Then I will go with you. I started a couple days ago, and I need to start on revisions."

"Er, actually, I want to go alone." Harry's words deflated her spirit. "I find that I can concentrate better alone. Sorry, I just have a lot to think about." With that being said he rushed out the Great Hall leaving Ron and Ginny speechless.

"That boy becomes stranger and stranger every day," Hermione huffed.

Meanwhile, a pair of grey eyes followed the Wizarding World's famous hero as he left the Great Hall. Draco Malfoy's hand curled into a fist and slammed it on the table, startling several Slytherin students. For the last few months he had been under heavy pressure from his family, particularly his father, and the Death Eaters to please Voldemort. He was assigned with the task of finding a way to break the barrier that protected Hogwarts so that Voldemort and the Death Eater could freely enter the castle walls. At first, it sounded easy, but he soon found out it was much more difficult than he thought. Every week his father would send him a letter stating that if he didn't complete task soon Voldemort would do unmentionable things to him.

Unmentionable things, Draco repeated the words over again in his head. Like what exactly? _Crucio _him? Decapitate him and place his head on a pedestal for the Death Eaters to laugh at? Oh, the stress. It was killing him! And this was all Saint Harry Potter's fault!

He was deep in thought when Blaise Zabini threw a few grapes at his face. Draco shook his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts, and looked down to find the grapes on his lap. He frowned and glared across the table at Blaise, who feigned innocence for the misdemeanor.

"Got your head in the clouds again, Draco?" Blaise grinned and popped a grape into his mouth. "You're starting to become like Looney Bin Lovegood with your face in some sort of trance."

Draco scowled and took a bite of the chicken leg on his plate.

"What's going on with you?" Blaise asked.

In a low and agitated whisper, Draco replied, "You know very well what's going on with me!"

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, yes your Death Eater task."

"Don't say it out loud!"

"You can't let it get to you."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one with the task."

"No, bu-"

"This is Potter's fault," Draco interrupted. "If he hadn't been born I wouldn't have to go through this ordeal. There are extra protective spells around this castle because of _him_. It just makes this whole thing that much harder!"

Blaise had noticed over the months the dark half-moon circles forming under his friend's eyes. He felt quite sympathetic to Draco's situation and wouldn't wish it upon himself or any other Slytherin. The baggy dark eyes were quite ugly on the boy's pale complexion. But there was something in Draco's hard expression that pleaded to him for a solution. Any solution. Of course, one did come across Blaise's mind and he wondered how his friend would react to it.

"You know what, Draco?"

The blond boy raised his eyes to him with a slight feeling of hope fluttering inside his chest.

Blaise smirked and simply said, "You need a real vacation."

Draco spat out pieces of chicken and scowled. He rose from his seat and picked up his note bag.

"Where are you going?" Blaise was slightly offended at his reaction.

"To the library because obviously you are no help at all."

Blaise shook his head. Every day, he thought to himself, that boy gets stranger and stranger.

"The _nerve _of Zabini," Draco muttered angrily as he walked down the corridor towards the library. "You need a real vacation," mocking Blaise's words in a falsetto voice. He entered the library, found a secluded spot near the Restricted Section and opened the book, which his mother had sent to him in order to help assist him with the dangerous assignment. He was sure the school banned this sort of book. If a goody-two-shoe student, like a Hufflepuff or worse a Gryffindor, or a professor were to catch him reading it he could possibly get expelled. Thankfully, he was blessed with a clever witch for a mother. She disguised the book's cover and performed a spell on the pages, so that only Draco's eyes could read it.

He was in the middle of an intense chapter when he heard the familiar voice of Harry Potter. The Wonder Boy was behind a bookshelf talking to someone. I wonder whom he is speaking to, Draco said to himself as he closed the book. He surreptitiously walked to the bookshelf and peeked through a space between the books so he could see part of Harry's face.

"I'm sorry, Lavender." Harry reached out a hand to the young woman's shoulder. "But I don't understand why they've changed their mind."

"It-it-it's be-be-because," Lavender sputtered through her tears. "I'm not of _age_. People do bring their children to Las Vegas, but my parents decided that it's more of a vacation for the adults. I think it's because they don't want their fun to be hampered by me, a _minor_."

"So, if they're still going in the summer then where are you vacationing this summer?"

"Stuck at home."

"Oh."

"Doing _nothing_. I'd probably sit around in my bathrobe eating bon bons till my fat arse gets too heavy to lug around."

"You know, I'm planning out my vacation."

"Well, _good_ for you Potter," her words thick with sarcasm. Harry was taken aback, but she gasped and quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry, Harry. It's just that I'm upset. I really wanted to go."

"I understand."

While Lavender dabbed her tear-filled eyes with a tissue Harry was in a thoughtful trance. After a moment of thinking, he broke the silence, "Why don't you join me?"

Lavender blew her nose very loudly into the tissue. She lifted her eyes up to him and he watched her face turn from despondent to hopeful.

"That's really sweet of you," she said. "But…but you don't think Ron and Hermione would mind me tagging along?"

Harry crossed his arms and leaned back carefully against the bookshelf. "Actually, I had planned on going alone."

"Oh, I just assumed they were. If you had planned on going alone then why take me with you?"

"Well…well, um...I, uh—Why don't you just come along? I don't mind at all."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. I'd feel bad thinking about you just sitting alone and eating bon bons all summer."

The two laughed aloud, but suppressed their laughter into a chuckle when a passing Madam Pince gave them a sharp _shhh!_

"So," Lavender began to say as her giggle subsided, "What place do you have in mind?"

"Oh, um…" Harry started to feel a bit embarrass. He hadn't even started his search yet, but he knew he wanted an extensive vacation. He didn't know whether he should tell her right away that he planned on leaving immediately, only he just didn't know where. However, he said the first thing that came to his mind, "Maybe New Zealand."

She rolled her eyes. "Been there, done that."

Harry sighed. "Where haven't you been?"

"The States."

"You really want to go to Las Vegas, New York?"

"It's Las Vegas, Nevada."

"Oh, right, right. I know that. But what would your parents think ab—"

"We'll be in a different hotel," Lavender interrupted. "Plus, lots of people visit Las Vegas in the summer. What are the chances of bumping into them?"

"Okay." He nodded. "Las Vegas it is!"

"Yes! I can't thank yo-"

"We're leaving tomorrow," he blurted.

"WHAT?" Lavender's jaw dropped and eyes widened in shock. ARE YOU CRAZY?"

Harry waved his hands in a frantic gesture to warn her to keep her volume down, but a few students nearby were already staring in their direction and an angry Madam Pince gave them a final warning. Once the students resumed with their own business and Lavender retained her composure they continued their conversation.

"Tomorrow? _Tomorrow?_" Lavender lowered her voice into a harsh whisper. "But what about our classes? It's one thing to skip out on one class for a day, but…but… How long is this vacation going to be?"

Harry stared down hard at the floor. "I don't know."

She threw her hands in the air. "Okay, so what you're saying is that you might not return?"

"I didn't say that." Harry uncrossed his arms and took hold of her shoulders. "Lavender, this is really important to me. People are always telling me what to do and what not to do. No one has bothered to even ask me about my opinions and my feelings and what I want. All my life I've done everything that everyone wants from, and everybody expects so much from me. I've reached the limit, Lavender. I really have. I _need _this. Please, understand."

He was serious. His eyes blazed with intensity. "For you this vacation is just to kill your boredom, but for me… It means no Voldemort; no Death Eaters; no Harry The Third Wheel with Ron and Hermione; no Snape; no Dursleys. It's just me. But you don't have to join me if you don't want to."

A long silence stretched before them once Harry removed his hands from her shoulders, leaned back against the shelf and crossed his arms not making eye contact with Lavender.

"I'll go with you, Harry." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, but still expressed her sincerity.

Behind the shelf across the couple, Draco gazed upon them intently. A real vacation, he silently repeated the words of Blaise. A vacation. An escape. No Voldemort or the task given to him. The escape would allow him to not worry about his current situation. A list of possibilities and scenarios whirled in his mind dizzying him with hope and relief and excitement.

The idea of a vacation now consumed him that by dinnertime he didn't know Blaise attempted many times to pull him into a conversation, but gave up, ate in silence and left for bed. When Draco saw Harry starting to leave the Great Hall he made a decision. He knew exactly what he was going to say to the Boy-Who-Should-Have-Died.

"Take me with you." Harry was confused at the blond boy's words. He had been surprised when someone pulled him into an empty classroom while on his way to the Gryffindor common room. He was even more surprised to discover that the person was Draco Malfoy.

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" he responded.

"I overheard you with that blood trai—I-I mean, that Brown girl."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "What did you hear?"

"I know about your plan to leave tomorrow. I know where you two will be going."

"_That's _none of your business," he hissed. When Harry moved to leave the blond boy grabbed him by the shoulders and roughly pushed him against the cold stonewall.

"What the fuck!" Harry yelped.

"Take me with you," Draco said again.

"Why should I?"

"I—I don't know. But I need it just as much as you do and for the same reason."

Harry was silent.

"Take me with you," he said breathlessly, "and I'm only going to say this once, Potter." Draco found difficulty in letting the word come out. He had never used it on anyone else except for his mother. "Puh…Puh…P-p-please."

This was the first time for Harry to see his enemy pleading for something almost desperately, and somehow he knew that the blond boy was serious.

"Third floor, second classroom to the right at midnight," Harry caved in. "Don't be late."

Just then the door to the classroom opened, and the boys turned to see Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley stumbling into the room in a tight embrace. When the Hufflepuff boys saw that they weren't alone their arms immediately unhooked pushing each other away.

"Oh, we didn't anyone was in here," Ernie said, obviously embarrassed.

"D-d-don't tell anyone about us." Justin made a move towards the door. "Please."

"And we won't tell anyone about you."

Seeing his hands still on Harry's shoulder, Draco let go as if his hands had been burned, and wiped them furiously with his robes. The Hufflepuff couple rushed out of the classroom leaving Harry and Draco alone again.

"Don't be late." With that being said, Harry left.


	3. Chapter 3: Escape

**Chapter Summary:** Harry, Lavender, Blaise and Draco escape Hogwarts.

**Notes: **Please take a moment to leave a review.

**Chapter 3: Escape**

With his arms crossed leaning back against the doorway, Blaise watched his friend neatly pack his clothes into a trunk. Blaise Zabini, who was rarely surprised and hard to please most of the time, was in shock. He didn't think that Draco would even take his words from earlier today at lunch so literally, so seriously, and so rashly. The blond boy should see a Mental Healer at St. Mungo's. Yes, Blaise thought, I should write a letter to his mother and have him drag to St. Mungo's before he harms himself or get into real danger.

"You're mad! Bonkers! I can't believe you're seriously going! And with those Gryffindors!" Blaise uncrossed his arms and walked towards his friend. "If you go I will write to your mother about this."

He froze when Draco suddenly whipped his wand out and pointed it between his eyes so fast Blaise didn't have time to blink.

"Don't you _even_ dare," Draco's voice was low and dangerous. For a long moment they stared down at one another, hoping that one would step back and accept defeat. It was Blaise who took the cautious step back though Draco still held anger in his expression.

"Fine," Blaise huffed. "I won't tell your mother on you or to anyone else because I'm going with you, too."

"What?" Draco dropped his hand holding the wand as he watched Blaise pulling clothes from the drawers. "Why do you want to come?"

"You're not leaving me here alone! You may like Crabbe and Goyle's company, but I can't imagine being stuck with those fucktards for the rest of the year."

The two boys packed in silence until Blaise stopped midway in folding a shirt and asked, "By the way, where are we going exactly?"

"Las Vegas."

The name rang a familiar tune to Blaise. He had heard it before, and after pondering on it for a moment it hit him.

"Oh, I know of that place," he told Draco.

"You do?"

"Muggles call it Sin City. It's where anything goes; everything impossible becomes possible. People go wild there."

"Really? How do you know about it?"

"My mother. She met Franklin there last summer and sent me an owl to let me know I had to make room for another stepfather."

"Really? What's the place like?"

"I don't know. When she got back and I asked her about it she told me, 'whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas'."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, whatever happened there stayed. I don't think I'd want to know what she did with that man anyway." Blaise's face scrunched in disgust at the mere thought of his mother conducting certain adult activities.

Draco eyed his watch. It was twenty-minutes before midnight.

"We need to hurry," he said. "We can't be late or they'll leave without us."

Once they've finished packing clothes and some money they shrunk their trunks and tucked them into the pockets of their robes. The two left the Slytherin tower without making any eye contact with their fellow Slytherins. Last thing they needed now was to be sucked into a conversation. They made their way through the castle, and entered the classroom on the third floor where they found Harry and Lavender arguing in low harsh tones not noticing the two Slytherins.

Lavender, visibly upset at Harry, was speaking in harsh whispers. "But why _him_? He has made everyone's—who wasn't a Slytherin—lives miserable. Teasing us, calling us names…so _why_?" She threw her hands exasperatedly in the air.

Harry shrugged. "I don't really know, but I agreed to let him come. So, we'll just have to go with it." He slouched on the chair but jumped up when he spotted two figures near the door. Pointing his wand at the figure he demanded for them to show their identities.

"Calm down, Potter." Draco stepped out from the shadows into the soft glow of the moonlight beaming from the window. "It's just me."

"Then who's that behind you?" Harry demanded without lowering his wand down. The second figure stepped forward revealing himself to Harry and Lavender, who gasped then, with all the force she could muster, smacked Harry on the shoulder.

"_I thought you said only Malfoy. Now we have two Slytherins_," she hissed at him.

Harry glared at her as he nursed his now aching shoulder. "I didn't know!" He turned to Blaise and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Blaise opened his mouth to speak, but the blond Slytherin stepped forward and pointed a finger at Harry. "Listen here, Potter," he said, though surprisingly not in his typical arrogant tone, but calm and sound. "If you get to bring a Gryffindor companion wouldn't it be reasonable to allow me to bring a fellow Slytherin?"

Lowering his wand Harry let out a sigh and nodded. "Fine. It sounds reasonable to me." He felt a sharp pain on his injured shoulder. "OW! Lavender!"

"You've gone too soft, Harry Potter." She huffed narrowing her eyes and firmly planting her hands on her hips.

"Okay, well then let's get down to business," said Harry as he rubbed his shoulder and returned to his seat at the desk. "We have to organize a few things: Money, a place to stay, an—"

Draco rolled his eyes. "You didn't think this thoroughly did you?"

"How are we getting there exactly?" Blaise asked

"Umm…"

"I agree," Lavender chipped in. "This is all to hurried."

"I guess I should've known better than to come along without any plans, much less with Gryffindors."

"Oh, please. Don't blame me. Blame Harry!"

"We fly," said Harry, quite annoyed at the two.

"On what? On brooms?"

"That'll take days!" exclaimed Draco. "And we'd have to fly over an ocean!"

"No, not on brooms, Malfoy," said Harry.

"Then how?"

"Airplane."

"Airplane?" Lavender and Draco said simultaneously, throwing him a quizzical look, while Blaise failed to hide his disdain.

"Yes, an airplane. It's how Muggles fly in the air," Harry answered seeing that Draco and Lavender didn't know what he spoke of.

"Really, Potter?" Blaise was disgusted. "How about we use a Portkey?"

"Do you know how to set up a Portkey?"

"No, but we could try."

"Oh, no, we're not!" Lavender shook her head. "I'm not all for experimental magic right now. I want to arrive in Vegas safe and sound without the risk of being transported to god knows where."

Harry cracked his knuckles, placed his hands behind his head and leaned back on the chair with a smile. "So, airplane it is."

"Okay. Well, now about money," said Lavender. "I only have some Galleons with me at the moment."

"I have some too," Draco and Blaise replied at the same time.

"I carry Muggle and Wizarding currency," Harry added. "I'm sure I have enough to buy us all one way plane tickets."

"Well, if you pay for the tickets, Harry," said Lavender thoughtfully, "then the rest of us will cover for the hotel or whatever place we're staying at."

"Actually I don't have any money on me," said Blaise, sheepishly. "But my mother's been to Las Vegas before and I've heard her mention about Neronian Alley, so I'm sure there'll be a ban—"

"Neronian Alley?" Harry interrupted.

"Yes, it's the wizarding side of Las Vegas—."

"Really! Great! We could find a place there."

"So," Draco started. "How do we get to these Muggle flying things?"

"Airplane."

"Thank you, Potter," the blond Slytherin sneered. "Airplane."

Harry grinned and replied, "Oh, I'll show you."

Soon Draco, Blaise and Lavender found themselves somewhere deep into the Forbidden Forest as Harry opened his arms wide and presented to them...

Nothing.

The three were puzzled at his oddness. What was he pointing at?

"We're going to ride on these to get to the Glasgow airport." Harry raised a hand and started to pet the air.

Draco scoffed. "What the fuck are you talking about, Potter?"

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about our way to get to the airport!"

"On what exactly?" Lavender asked, staring at Harry as if he had grown another head.

Blaise rolled his eyes and mumbled, "He's fucking nuts. He got Crucio'd too many times, I bet."

"On what? On what?" Harry chuckled. "On Thestrals that's what!"

Seeing the puzzled looks on his companions' faces, he suddenly remembered an important fact that the Ravenclaw Luna Lovegood mentioned. What was it? Oh yes, that's right. "Oh, sorry, I just completely forgot something—"

"Your mind?" Blaise said.

"I forgot that the only reason," Harry continued, "you can't see them is because you haven't seen death."

"Grim Reaper?"

"No, that's not what I was referring to. I mean, you had to be a witness to someone's death."

Lavender threw her hands up in the air. "Oh, yes, that explains everything! Well, I've witnessed my fish's death and I still don't see this Thrustalls."

"Threstrals," corrected Harry. "And I'm not lying! Come here and see for your—oh, just come here!" Harry grabbed her hand and let it touch dark creature.

Draco found it all too suspicious and strange. What looked like Lavender patting a magical creature in Potter's vision, he only saw her awkwardly caressing the air.

"Do you feel it?" asked Harry.

"What am I exactly groping at?" asked Lavender, amazed at feeling something smooth and soft.

"If I tell you, promise me you won't get mad?"

"HARRY!" She snatched her hand away.

"Shh! I think I hear someone," whispered Blaise, gesturing all to keep their volume low.

"No time!" said Harry, effortlessly hoisting a surprise Lavender up on the Thestral. The girl's body trembled, as she was shocked to find herself levitated off the ground. Though she couldn't see the creature she could feel it under her. Harry seated himself behind her.

"Hey, what about us?" said Draco.

"There's one to your right. You and Blaise will need to share."

The blond boy reached out a hand and slowly shuffled to his right.

"Keep going, you're not even close to it," said Harry.

Draco shuffled another few feet.

"Not even close."

He shuffled another foot.

"Getting a bit warmer."

And then another foot.

"Almost. You're pretty warm, but not. I'd say lukewarm. Oh, it backed away a bit further. I think you're scaring it."

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Draco rushed forward, but fell backwards when his face was smacked by the invisible being. He reached out his hand again and felt the creature's legs. He felt his way up until his hands reached its back. He clambered up the Threstral and sat down feeling relieved.

"Okay, Blaise, come on up," he said, offering a hand to his fellow Slytherin.

"Well, Malf—" Harry started to say, watching Blaise struggle to get up.

"Fuck off, Potter," snapped Draco. "Let's get moving."

Harry shrugged. "Suit yourself." He no longer wanted to tell the two Slytherins that they were actually sitting on the creature facing the wrong direction.

They flew up into the night barely escaping sight from a large bearded man holding a lantern, and a dog by his side.

"Hey, who's there?" Hagrid asked, raising the light.

He looked up at the sky and saw two shadowy figures gliding through the air, each carrying two passengers. One of them shouted at the top of his lungs, "Wooo! Vegas, baby! Here we come!"

The others shouted and cheered along.


End file.
